Systems and methods for varying elastic modulus appliances

• US 9,855,701 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Align Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Phan, Loc X., Chishti, Muhammad, Miller, Ross J., Vandenberg, H. Robert, Kuo, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): EIDE, HEIDI MARIE
• Application Number:
  US15/139,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20160236398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/00 Dental auxiliary appliances dental chairs or accessories therefor, working stands whether or not combined with chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/002 Orthodontic computer assisted systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/08 Mouthpiece-type retainers or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/36 Devices acting between upper and lower teeth
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/154 Coating solid articles, i.e. non-hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/002 characterised by the choice of material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0082 Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008

Abstract

The present invention provides improved devices, systems and methods for repositioning teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a final tooth arrangement. Repositioning is accomplished with a system comprising a series of polymeric shell appliances configured to receive the teeth and incrementally reposition individual teeth in a series of successive steps. The individual appliances may be formed from layers having different stiffnesses (elastic moduluses), and the stiffnesses of successive appliances may be different, or both.

Claims

1. A method for producing an orthodontic appliance, the method comprising:

providing a mold of patient'"'"'s dentition;

forming a first material layer over the mold;

removing one or more portions of the first material layer after forming the first material layer to form a remaining portion and one or more removed portions of the first material layer, at least one of the one or more removed portions spanning a group of two or more teeth of the patient'"'"'s dentition; and

forming a second material layer over the remaining portion of the first material layer so as to produce the orthodontic appliance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second material layer spans the entirety of the patient'"'"'s dentition and the remaining portion of the first material layer spans less than the entirety of the patient'"'"'s dentition after removing the one or more portions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the remaining portion of the first material layer forms an inner layer of the orthodontic appliance and the second material layer forms an outer layer of the orthodontic appliance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an overlapping portion comprises a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the first material layer and a stiffness of the second material layer, the overlapping portion comprising a portion of the first material layer and a portion of the second material layer where the first material layer overlaps a portion of the second material layer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein an elastic modulus of an overlapping portion is greater than an elastic modulus of a non-overlapping portion, the overlapping portion comprising a portion of the first material layer and a portion of the second material layer where the first material layer overlaps a portion of the second material layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material layer differs from the second material layer with respect to one or more of the following:

elastic modulus, polymer type, or thickness.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material layer is the same as the second material layer with respect to one or more of the following:

elastic modulus, polymer type, or thickness.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material layer has a greater stiffness than the second material layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance varies in stiffness along one or more of a mesial-distal axis, a facial-lingual axis, or a gingival-crown axis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises an occlusal surface having a lower stiffness than the remaining surfaces of the orthodontic appliance.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second material layer is continuous along a mesial-distal axis, and wherein the formed first material layer is discontinuous along the mesial-distal axis.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the removed one or more portions is sized to cover only a portion of a tooth of the patient'"'"'s dentition.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the removed one or more portions is sized to span a gingival line of the patient'"'"'s dentition.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the one or more portions comprises segmenting the first layer into a plurality of sections each shaped to receive one or more of the patient'"'"'s teeth.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthodontic appliance comprises one or more gaps formed between two or more remaining portions.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the mold comprises a positive model of the patient'"'"'s dentition in a desired tooth arrangement.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the first material layer comprises thermoforming the first material layer over the mold and forming the second material layer comprises thermoforming the second material layer together with the first material layer.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising trimming the orthodontic appliance for patient use.